


Could end in Burning Flames or Paradise

by versti_fantur



Category: Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ann is a gay disaster, F/F, Nightclub
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23820712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/versti_fantur/pseuds/versti_fantur
Summary: Ann is having a less than great evening after being ditched by her friends at a nightclub. Then she (quite literally) bumps into an attractive stranger, and her evening immediately starts to take a turn for the better.
Relationships: Anne Lister (1791-1840)/Ann Walker (1803-1854)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 49





	Could end in Burning Flames or Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> Ayy my first Ann(e) fic! This was written at 3am and I checked over it this morning for typos but if I've missed any... sorry xD

If there was one thing Ann had realised during the past hour of standing vaguely near a bar surrounded by sweaty, drunk strangers, it was that she absolutely fucking hated nightclubs. The music was too loud, the drinks too expensive, the people _far_ too touchy feely for her comfort, and, to top it all off, all her friends had disappeared, presumably on the arm of some hot stranger who they’d never see again. Maybe they’d had the right idea in leaving, and that was exactly what she planned to do. Grabbing her clutch purse and swallowing the last of her (horribly overpriced, far too sweet) cocktail, she pushed her way through the crowds towards the exit. That was, until she walked directly into the most attractive woman she’d ever seen. It took a few moments for her brain to catch up, but once it did she flushed bright red.

“Oh god I’m sorry,” she blurted out, hoping the other woman hadn’t spilt her drink. Thankfully it didn’t appear as though she had, and the bemused smile dancing over her lips indicated she wasn’t even annoyed.

“It’s quite alright.” Oh god that _voice_ ; low and smooth and Ann almost melted into a puddle on the floor. “Where are my manners, I’m Anne.” She held out her hand, and Ann tentatively took it. Welp that officially made her the politest person she’d had ever met in a nightclub.

“Uh, Ann,” she replied, distracted by Anne’s firm grip, and then she made the mistake of looking down at those hands. Those gorgeous, slender hands, and her mind momentarily short circuited. “I mean, that’s my name too, I’m not just repeating yours, um-” She broke off as Anne laughed—fuck, how was even her _laugh_ attractive???

“Well, _Ann_ ,” The way she said her name sent shivers down Ann’s spine, “Would you like to join me at my table?” She took Ann’s arm before she’d even finished her question (not that Ann would have declined anyway), and led her in the direction of one of the secluded booths at the side of the room. Wow, those booths were pricey, she thought, trying to ignore how Anne’s fingers against her bare skin sent shivers of electricity through her entire body.

“Freddy! There you are!” A voice called out from the booth, where a woman with curly brown hair slouched over the plush sofa, with a younger woman dressed in all black lying next to her with her head in her lap. “You’ve been gone so long we thought you’d got lost” Wait. Freddy? Ann turned to Anne, about to ask, when the woman at the table spoke again. “Oh, who’s this?” Her eyes raked Ann up and down, and she felt as though she was being inspected, scrutinised. She wondered how many girls Anne did this with… But then Anne laughed again, and immediately Ann pushed those thoughts away, sitting down next to Anne as close as she dared, which was actually quite close.

“Ann, this is Mariana,” Anne explained, sliding the glass over to her friend before turning her gaze back to Ann, “She’s got other places to be.” Mariana choked on her drink, and gave her a ‘Really? Do I?’ glare, before rolling her eyes. She indicated the girl in her lap to move, and they both stood.

“I paid just as much for this table as you did,” Mariana said after she’d downed the rest of her drink, grabbing the hand of the girl.

“Fine, yes, I owe you,” Anne rolled her eyes back, causing Ann to giggle, and a mildly irritated Mariana disappeared into the crowd of people around the dance floor with the other girl in tow, leaving Ann and Anne alone. _Finally_ , Ann’s mind supplied unhelpfully. Anne’s thumb traced over the skin on the inside of Ann’s wrist, having not let go yet, and she failed to supress the shiver it elicited. Anne only smirked. She was unused to such blatant flirting, especially from people like Anne, and she so her brain whirled with mildly anxious thoughts, which were, thankfully, dulled slightly from the few drinks she’d had over the evening.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?” Anne asked, still stroking her arm, and even though that was an objectively shit chat up line, Ann didn’t really care.

“My friends were here too, but they, uh, left,” she replied, “I don’t really get out much,” she added and instantly regretted it. Why did her brain feel the need to betray her and emphasise her total lack of a social life? But Anne didn’t seem to mind, a warm smile settled on her face, and good god Ann wanted to kiss her. Like, yesterday. “But what about you? Why are you here?” Stupid question, really stupid question, stupidly stupid question, who the fuck would even ask that when the answer was so blatantly obvious-

“I like making people fall a little bit in love with me.”

Oh. Oh fuck. Ann’s breath caught in her throat as Anne’s gaze dropped to her lips and she shifted imperceptibly closer to her in the chair. She licked her lips, and she could’ve sworn Anne’s eyes followed the small swipe of her tongue. She didn’t know how to respond to Anne’s words, not sure if she even needed to, if the way Anne was looking at her was any indication anyway. Before she could move, Anne raised her hand to caress Ann’s face, her thumb barely brushing against the swell of her bottom lip. Ann was certainly glad she was sat down, for at that moment her knees felt alarmingly weak. 

After only a brief moment of hesitation, Anne leant forward and pressed her lips to Anne’s, eliciting a startled gasp from the other woman, who clearly hadn’t expected her to make the first move. Ann smirked into the kiss, proud of her small victory. Anne’s lips were soft and warm against her own, and she could taste whiskey and strawberry chap-stick as they opened tentatively. But then Anne seemed to come back to her senses and instantly the kiss became deeper; Anne insistent, hungry, her hand slipping into Ann’s neatly curled hair and mussing it up as she tugged it lightly. 

Holy hell Anne wanted more, _needed_ more, so when Anne eventually pulled back to allow them to both gasp for air, and breathlessly asked “Would you like to come back to my place?” All Ann could manage to respond was

“Fuck yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos give me life! Also I literally cannot get over these two so I'm rewatching everything in quarantine xD
> 
> Title from Style by Taylor Swift


End file.
